Shop Right to Eat Right: Supermarket Survival Tips

The following is from Dr. Jamie McManus MD, FAAFP, Chairman, Medical Affairs, Health Sciences and Education at Shaklee. I have been a Shaklee customer for several years and absolutely can tell you with no hesitation that their products are excellent.  I have taken supplements since I was 18, off and on, mostly because I sort of knew they were good for me. Since being on Shaklee, I can tell you concretely that I have had demonstrable improvements in my health, energy and physical functioning, even aside from my ongoing love affair with Basic-H.  Michael has used Shaklee for over 25 years and a recent bone density test revealed that he has the same bone density as a walking person, even after nearly 32 years as a quadriplegic. No osteoporosis or decreased bone density in someone unable to bear weight through his bones as ambulatory people do! That is absolutely remarkable.  We're not messing around, this is absolutely a company worth checking out.

Unless you’re a farmer or rancher growing, raising and harvesting your own food, chances are you’re like most Americans and find it a challenge to get back to basics and do some home cooking. Finding the time these days to make it to the grocery store to shop for healthy food choices may be difficult. And even if you do make it to the store, taking the time needed to rummage through the aisles and select the smartest food choices from over 40,000 items you’ll find there can be overwhelming. So, to help make your next trip through the grocery store a little bit easier, here are some basic supermarket survival tips:

• Most grocery stores are arranged in about the same way, with the freshest foods placed around the perimeter, or the “square," of the store. That’s where you’ll find the fresh produce, low fat dairy foods, lean meat (poultry, fish, etc.), and whole grain breads—and that’s where you should start.

• Make your first stop in the produce section, where you can choose fresh fruits and vegetables that are low in calories, high in fiber, and abundant in vitamins and minerals. Dark green and deep orange-yellow fruits and vegetables are better choices than pale colored produce. Take advantage of buying organic produce, if you can (less pesticide exposure).

• Next is a visit to the dairy section. Choose nonfat or 1% fat products, which are a great source of quality protein, calcium, and vitamin D without too many calories. If you are a soy milk drinker, you will probably find the ready-to-drink, refrigerated soy milk there, too. Look for a low-fat version.

• On to the meat section, where you should look for lean, protein-rich foods such as skinless chicken or turkey breast meat, fresh fish, extra-lean beef, and extra-lean ground turkey made from white meat. Diets higher in protein may aid in weight loss because studies suggest that protein helps control hunger.

• Then follow your nose to the bakery section. Skip the unhealthy stuff like muffins, donuts, and scones, and look for whole grain breads that are high in fiber and low in fat, such as 100% whole wheat bread, pitas, and tortillas.

• Once you’ve shopped the square, make a brief trip to the inner aisles to grab some brown rice and whole grain cereal.

Certainly, the old adage from our mothers and grandmothers continues to be valid: “we are what we eat.” Make a special effort on behalf of National Nutrition Month to improve “what you are” by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains. Achieve a healthy weight by cutting your portion sizes, boosting your physical activity and following a weight management program designed to help you preserve lean muscle, and be sure to include a wise array of appropriate dietary supplements to fill in your nutrition gaps, address specific health needs and assist in your weight management efforts.

If you have negative feelings about MLMs, I hope you can see past that. That's Shaklee's business model so you have to get products through a distributor, that's just the way it is. As a member (to get the 15% discount), I am automatically a distributor so you can check them out via my Shaklee website.  As an alternative, you can check out Georgiann Young's site too. Yes, she's my mom.  Yeah, sounds very MLM, I know.  Think what you will, but that stroke she had last year finally made her get more serious about her health. In fact, if you do place an order, I'd almost prefer you did it from her rather than me. At the ripe old age of 65, she's housebound due to her disability and had no retirement savings so she's trying to make ends meet on Social Security Disability.  Not easy, so she gets super tickled when someone orders from her.  But first and foremost, this is really about YOU getting the highest quality products you can to support your wellness.  If we were all selling Mary Kay, I wouldn't even be talking about this.

Other fine Shaklee users you can connect with who could get products to you, although they do not have websites are are own Michael Schwass, the lovely Omnicrone, herself, Kate Winner and our recent guest blogging massage therapist, Rosalinda Huck. 

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Comments

[kate]

Thanks for the mention. I'm forwarding this on to Barbara...mostly for Basic H and the earth-friendly products. We'll use Georgiann's site if she decides to give it a try.
Please say Hi to your Mom for me.
:)

[Laura Young]

You're welcome and will do!

[JoLynn Braley]

Hi Laura,

This is why I shop at the same grocery stores over and over...because I know the layout, I know exactly where to get what I need. I don't spend much time in the inner aisles (or even dairy) except for picking up a couple of things, such as DelMonte NSA (no salt added) canned green beans.

Technically they would be considered processed food since they are canned, however the only ingredient is "green beans". Can you tell that I don't condone processed foods? ;)

Thanks for the review of Shaklee, also!